Tilburg - Tilburg

Tilburg it's a city Dutch of the North Brabant.

To know

With a tourist appeal not comparable to other cities of the Netherlands (with an extensive network of canals, bridges and stone embankments), Tilburg is still a tourist destination, less known and less crowded, but with attractions to discover. The reasons for this lack of interest are to be found in the destruction caused by World War II and in the consequent reconstruction which took place in a hurry. The need to provide housing for the numerous homeless people involved the construction of huge prefabricated barracks in the style of those erected in Berlin east by the East German government in the 50s of the 20th century (the famous Wohnblocke or housing blocks).

In a certain sense, Tilburg has remained anchored to the outdated precepts of urban planning andfunctionalistic architecture even in the following decades up to the end of the twentieth century and beyond. From 1975 onwards the city was gutted to facilitate car traffic by the will of the then mayor, Cees Becht who was nicknamed the destroyer for this. During his tenure, many traditional buildings that survived the bombings ended inexorably under bulldozers.

The last decade of the 20th century marked or at least tried to make a turning point in the urban history of Tilburg. A trio of skyscrapers was built whose silhouettes characterize the skyline and the city landscape today. The severe Interpolis, or the headquarters of the insurance company of the same name, the largest of Netherlands, was the first skyscraper to be erected. The Westpoint-woontoren followed, a very banal condominium tower in glass and steel 141 m high completed in 2004 but which refers to styles in vogue in the last century. The StadsHeer, the newest of the trio and with a high-sounding name (The Lord of the City), breaks with the styles of the past, trying to imitate the most famous Montevideo skyscraper in Rotterdam and winking also at the Admirant of Eindhoven. Its construction was completed in March 2007. 101 m high and entirely made up of prefabricated elements, it has a mixed function: the first six floors are used as offices while the next 25 are made up of apartments that were almost all snapped up even before their completion. The StadsHeer was the subject of the most salacious criticisms. It has been nicknamed by the locals "vogelkooikes", or the birdcages because of its solariums which are nothing more than protruding verandas that give it a funny air.

Aesthetic defects must not be misleading; Tilburg is characterized by a high standard of living. It is a city literally surrounded by greenery. The most famous city parks were all designed by the landscape architect Leonard Springer: the Wilhelmina park was finished in 1895, the Wandelbos, the largest of all (32 ha), in 1925 and the Leijpark (30 ha) in 1935. All and three parks have retained a romantic atmosphere from the late nineteenth century and today the inhabitants flock there with recreational purposes, in particular for the morning practice of jogging. Numerous other parks were arranged at a later date but always with the rigorous care shown by Leonard Springer. Particularly successful was the construction of the small Kromhoutpark in 1991 which has received numerous national awards but in Tilburg there are several noteworthy green areas which are described in the appropriate section.

Another flagship of Tilburg is its university founded in 1927 on the initiative of the Catholic clergy but now state-run. About 12,000 students attend the courses. Of these 10% come from abroad Netherlands. The most famous faculties are those of law, economics, social and behavioral sciences and of course theology. The institute has rapidly re-evaluated in recent years and since 2015 some of its faculties have achieved a good ranking according to the evaluations of the QS World University Rankings. Another prerogative of the University are the particularly low fees that attract young people from the poorest countries of theEurope southern.

Despite the presence of a large group of students, the nightlife is less intense than in the neighboring one Eindhoven. More correctly, the fun in Tilburg is free from excesses and marked by moderation but also by a natural elegance that leaves no room for frivolous and at least ghettoization. Surely a visit to one of its many clubs, even chosen at random, will not disappoint you.

At the moment the city of Tilburg is promoting itself with a logo consisting of a white letter T on a blue background that would surely remind us Italians of the tobacconist's sign. You will find this logo everywhere wandering around the city. It is stamped on the collonine in the atrium and in the forecourt of the station which, if activated, will give you a map of the city and other tourist brochures, on the sides of the buses and on the windows of many shops. The logo symbolizes the Tilburg lifestyle which, as previously mentioned, is marked by a natural elegance without any ostentation.

Geographical notes

Tilburg is located in a flat area immediately north of the border line with Belgium, halfway between the cities of Breda (32 km west) e Eindhoven (34 km east).

Regarding human geography, its population amounted to 206,234 inhabitants according to the 2011 census and was made up of 76% of people of Dutch nationality. They were followed by Turks and Moroccans (6.5%), Indonesians (2.5%), people from Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles (2.1%) and from Suriname (1.6%). In 2003 the Roman Catholic religion was predominant followed by 60.7 of the population. Atheists amounted to 21.7%, followers of the Dutch Reformed Church to 7.8% and Muslims to 4.8%.

When to go

Tilburg can be visited all year round and the choice of the period depends on strictly personal reasons. If you are someone who likes to socialize, August could probably be a bad month, considering that the students have returned home and most of its residents are having a good time on some Mediterranean beach or in even more exotic places. On the other hand, you can enjoy splendid bike rides in one of the numerous nature reserves in the surroundings. Spring arrives a little late compared to Italy and during the month of April the thermometer could still drop below zero. The snow sometimes appears as early as the end of November and in the following three months it can freeze easily. From January to March you may be lucky enough to run into temperatures around 10 ° or unlucky enough to find -5 °. But the fickleness of the weather defends itself fairly quickly by consulting a meteorological service before departure and packing suitable clothing in the suitcase. The rains are unfortunately distributed evenly over the year, which can be a disadvantage for those who train in tents; Calculate roughly 15 days for each month of the year. The high season coincides with the summer season and accommodation prices, already exorbitant during the low season, skyrocket.

Background

Tilburg first appears in a document from the early 8th century AD. after which the sources are silent for the next 4 centuries. In all probability the name referred, rather than to a city, to a region scattered with villages that was constituted in a fief organized on the system of the Roman villa and servile work (the so-called Curtense economy). The feudal lord stayed with his court in a castle that was swept away by bulldozers in 1858 to make way for a factory. However, a replica of it was erected in 1995. This castle appears in the civic coat of arms.

Tilburg's economy was based at the time on grazing and sheep farming. The abundance of flocks determined, at the time of the industrial revolution, the transformation of Tilburg into the most important wool center in the Netherlands. One of the first woolen mills equipped with modern machinery was set up in 1782 by a certain Pieter Vreede, a native of She give. This unit employed about 250 people. Forty-five years later, the Van Dooren factory was the first to equip itself with steam machinery. On April 18, 1809 Louis Bonaparte, at the time sovereign of the Kingdom of Holland, granted Tilburg the title of city. In that year the population was around 9,000 inhabitants. The first railway line was inaugurated in 1863.

King William II of the House of Orange was an admirer of Tilburg and in a sense a forerunner of tourism. The sovereign liked the city so much that he decided to have a palace built where he could retire. "Here I can breathe freely" - This is how Guglielmo expressed himself to those who asked him the reason for his attachment to the city. Unfortunately, the king died before the completion of the building and his heirs preferred to give the structure to the municipality, as long as he would transform it into a public school. Vincent van Gogh attended school in 1866-1868.

In 1871 Tilburg had 125 wool mills. The demographic development of the city made it necessary in 1917 to launch a first urban plan by Johan Ruckert, the most illustrious of the Dutch engineers of the time, who however failed to solve the problem of the railway lines that split the city in two. At the outbreak of World War II, Tilburg had reached 93,000 inhabitants.

For Tilburg the 2nd World War ended in the worst disaster in its history. Since May 1940 the center was targeted by German bombers who reduced it to a pile of rubble. Immediately after the surrender of the Dutch army that same month, the university was closed and its students went into hiding in an attempt to organize some resistance to the Nazi occupier. Norbert Schmelzer (1921 - 2008) stood out in the group, who after the war served in the ranks of the Catholic People's Party (Katholieke Volkspartij), holding the position of foreign minister in the two-year period 1971-1973. Unfortunately a dozen of his comrades were captured by the Germans and ended up either executed or in concentration camps. Another famous figure of the resistance was the cleaning lady Jacoba Maria (Coba) Pulskens. We mention the story because you will probably come across his monument at the intersection of the Diepenstraat with the Jan Steenstraat. During the war Pulkens hid several RAF pilots but she was surprised by GESTAPO and ended her days in the gas chamber of the Ravensbrück concentration camp.A similar fate suffered the Jewish community amounting to about 400 people at the outbreak of the war. Tilburg was liberated by the Allies on 27 October 1944 after a furious battle waged two weeks earlier. The British cemetery in Tilburg contains the graves of 76 soldiers who died in this battle.

The postwar period saw the collapse of the Tilburg wool industry. From 1960 onwards, the wool mills closed one after the other and those who persisted in remaining open ended up in bankruptcy the following decade. A similar fate suffered the tanneries and shoe factories on which the city economy was based. The closure of factories and the sacking of thousands of workers could have resulted in a tragedy worse than World War II, capable of devastating the entire city in the long term. Instead Tilburg was reborn from its ashes in an extremely short time and with an ease that is prodigious, thanks to the joint efforts of private citizens and public administrators. A great success was considered the inauguration in 1982 of the first plant outside Japan of the Fujifilm company which currently employs 1,000 people. Other well-known multinationals such as Bosch opened a production unit in Tilburg.

As of 2010, the municipal area housed a total of 7,600 companies with a total of 100,000 employees. The production park today appears very diversified and no longer dependent on a single sector as in the past. The service sector is also highly developed: Tilburg is the headquarters of Interpolis, one of the largest insurance companies in Netherlands.

How to orient yourself

Leaving the central station you will find on your right the main terminal of the urban and interurban buses dominated by the mass of the StadsHeer skyscraper, while on the left you will notice the headquarters of the Interpolis company. Both buildings peek out from the streets and squares of the center and will serve you as a reference point.

The city center (Binnenstad) extends just south of the station and you can easily reach it on foot. Behind the station, take the Langestraat opposite and follow it to the end; You will find yourself on the Oude Markt (old market square), dominated by the church of St. Dionysius. Beyond the apse of the church extends the Stadhuisplein (Town Hall Square), another meeting point in the center.

From the Oude Markt begins the Heuvelstraat (via del colle), the main street in the center transformed into a pedestrian area and flanked throughout its length by shops and clubs of all kinds. In its last stretch, the road crosses the Heuvel (square of the hill), dominated by the neo-Gothic forms of the Catholic church of San Giuseppe (informally called Heuvelse kerk, or the church of the hill) and adorned with the monument of King William II. Just to the east extends the Pieter Vreedeplein, a square dedicated to a revolutionary of the time of the Batavian republic, overlooked by the homonymous shopping center. Everything there is to see and do in Tilburg is concentrated in this rather compact space in the center.

Neighborhoods

While you are unlikely to stick your nose out of the downtown pedestrian zone (Binnenstad) described above, you will find below a list of other central and outlying districts for a better understanding of the city's topography:

Central districts:

• Oud-Zuid, literally "Old South" is the central district that completely surrounds the center, not only to the south as one might suppose from the name but also from the remaining sides and cardinal points.
• Oud-North literally "Old North" is the central district north of the railway lines extending to the Wilhelminakanaal canal. Here you will find the de Pont museum and the textile museum.

Peripheral districts:

• Noord it is the residential district north of the Wilhelmina canal arranged in the period 1966–1974 and therefore full of enormous prefabricated condominiums even with 16 floors. Its streets are named after musicians from the Renaissance until 1974. The district encompasses the agricultural village of Heikant which gave its name to its largest district.
• Oost, that is the eastern district.
• Zuid, that is the southern district extended beyond the motorway ring up to the A58, is a residential area but also of offices where the Santa Elisabetta hospital is located, the Lejipark. a large park and the Ireen Wüst Ijsbaae. an indoor skating rink where ice speed competitions are held.
• West, or the western district houses the headquarters of the University of Tilburg and the mosque completed in 2001. Much of the western district is made up of a succession of parks with forests and tall trees inside them.
• Reeshof it is the westernmost district of Tilburg and also the most recent, as its construction began in 1980. It is served by the homonymous railway station where only regional trains stop.

Together with the neighboring municipalities, Tilburg constitutes the seventh metropolitan area of Netherlands, immediately after Eindhoven. Below is a list of the main municipalities of the area:

• Oisterwijk A municipality in the countryside east of Tilburg. It has hotels and restaurants. It has the distinction of being the geographical center of the Benelux region.

How to get

By plane

The airport of Eindhoven (IATA: EIN) is the closest, being located about thirty kilometers to the east. A bus line takes you directly to the center in about half an hour. Eindhoven Airport does not have a train station and to get to Tilburg you will have to go through the central station of Eindhoven stretching a little.

Even the airports of Schipol (IATA: AMS) e Rotterdam-The Hague (IATA: RTM) are close and well connected to Tilburg. The first has a train station so you won't have to go through Amsterdam.

Other options are represented by the Belgian airports of Brussels (IATA: BRU) e Charleroi, (IATA: CRL), less convenient to reach as you may change trains or buses a couple of times.

On the train

Tilburg main station is located on the line from Venlo (on the border with Germany) to Flushing and is connected to the line Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp via the nearby station of Breda, where you may be forced to change if you want to use high-speed trains. Another branch reaches 's-Hertogenbosch and then continues north, tapping in succession Nijmegen, Arnhem, Zutphen, Deventer etc.

The possibilities are almost endless and you can easily reach any location in the country and neighboring ones in a few hours. We refer you to the site 9292.nl where you just need to type in the departure and arrival stations to get the list of all the trains available at the chosen time.

How to get around

In the center of Tilburg you can easily move on foot. To reach more distant destinations, use the most popular means of transport without hesitation Netherlands: a humble bicycle. In Tilburg, bikes are sold and bought in no time thanks to the presence of the students. Just take a look at the advertisements left on the notice board of the University or, if you don't have time to waste, go to one of the many shops that sell second-hand bikes. One of these shops in the center is Used Before at 55 Nieuwlandstraat but you will find many others inside or in the immediate vicinity of the central station.

Tilburg has an excellent network of asphalted cycle paths that cover the entire metropolitan area and that you can take to safely reach the neighboring municipalities but, if you feel like it, also the other cities of the North Brabant.

By public transport

Of course, for stays of less than a week (in the Netherlands as a whole) the bicycle is not even needed for hire, also considering the fact that Tilburg has an extremely efficient network of urban and suburban buses managed by Veolia Transport, a company that has experimented with different forms free transport for children and seniors over 55. Just to give an example, you can go across the border into the city Belgian of Turnhout and return within the day by boarding one of the Veolia buses that depart from the terminus of the central station.

What see

• 51.554735.0868641 Ancient municipal building, Stadhuisplein (Town center). . The palace was commissioned by King William II, who made it his goal to spend most of his free time in Tilburg. Unfortunately, the king never realized his dream as he died on March 17, 1849, three weeks before the completion of his mansion. This was later donated by the heirs to the municipality on condition that it was transformed into a school building. The original Gothic-style structure was restored and enlarged between 1934 and 1936 to accommodate the municipal offices. These were moved in 1971 to a much larger structure built right next to the old building which has since been used sporadically for wedding ceremonies. At the back of the building at No. 128 of the Stadhuisplein, is the entrance to the Vincents Tekenlokaal, or the drawing room frequented by a thirteen-year-old Van Gogh from 1866 to 1868 and set up as a museum in 2009. In the basements there is a permanent exhibition reserved for the artist. It is nothing special and you can do without visiting it. 
• 51.5673925.0750172 De Pont Museum for Contemporary Art (De Pont museum voor hedendaagse kunst), Wilhelminapark 1 (20/25 minutes walk from the central station via the Gasthuisring underpass or by bus lines 5 or 6 from the terminus of the central station.), ☎ 31 13 543 8300. € 10. Reduced for students. Free admission every third Thursday of the month, except for the months of July-August. Audio guides in Dutch / English available free of charge. Tue-Sun 11: 00-17: 00. Third Thu of the month 17: 00-20: 00. The museum owes its existence to private initiative as is usually the case for most Dutch museums. It takes its name from the lawyer and businessman Jan de Pont (1915-1987) who created a foundation with the primary aim of promoting contemporary art. The museum, inaugurated on 12 September 1992, is housed in a former wool mill whose spaces have been carefully restored by the architectural studio Benthem Crouwel Architekten BV of Amsterdam. There are about 700 works by 75 contemporary artists on display, actually not very well known to the general public. Among the artists represented stand out the German sculptor and painter Anton Henning, the French Christian Boltanski, the British Mark Wallinger, the Canadian Jeff Wall, Indonesian Fiona Tan and Italian Giuseppe Penone, exponent of the current of poor art. What is most striking about the De Pont museum is the extraordinary nature of the exhibition spaces and the skilful placement of the works on display. In December 2015, a spectacular new entrance was inaugurated, a gift from the municipality of Tilburg for the museum's twentieth anniversary. In the same year, a new wing was completed which houses a screening room and a spacious lounge overlooking the veranda overlooking the garden. These new constructions were also entrusted to the Benthem Crouwel studio whose intervention was acclaimed by the national and international press. The de Pont museum inspired the arrangement of London's Tate Modern 
• 51.5708335.0797223 Textile Museum (TextielMuseum), Goirkestraat 96 (From the station, get on a bus line 5 and get off at the Kasteeldreef stop. On foot, again from the station, it will take you less than half an hour using the passage under the railway called Gasthuisring and continuing straight along the Smidspad street until its confluence with the Goirkestraat), ☎ 31 13 536 7475, @[email protected]. € 10. Reduced for children 13-17 years and students. Free for under 13s. Tue-Fri 10: 00-17: 00, Sat-Sun 12: 00-17: 00. Closed Mon. The museum is housed in an old 19th century wool mill which belonged to the industrialist Christiaan Mommers (1836-1900) and has been declared a national monument. In 2008, a futuristic steel and glass wing was inaugurated that serves as an entrance. This structure also houses the foyer, the lounge (TextielCafe), the shop (TextielShop) and a professional laundry (DamastWasserij) where the public can bring old fine or delicate fabrics such as velvet bedspreads or damask tablecloths; these will come out as new. Consult the museum website for prices. A completely glass corridor leads to the old 4-storey factory, in its day the tallest and narrowest in the city. On the ground floor, huge steam-powered machinery from the late 19th century is exhibited. The heart of the museum is the so-called TextielLab, a space occupied by modern machinery still in operation. A library with over 20,000 books is available to students, designers and those who work in the specific field of fabrics. The catalog of titles is available on line. From the same entrance you can access the museum of musical instruments, a small collection of vintage musical instruments, all of which came from the Kessel factory in Tilburg which was active in the period 1886 - 1955. 
• 51.565.0813894 Brabant Nature Museum (Natuurmuseum Brabant), Spoorlaan 434. Inaugurated in 1935, it is the oldest city museum but also the smallest. It features tiny collections of fossils, insects and stuffed animals. 

Places of worship

• 51.55785.09165 Heuvelse kerk (Sint-Joseph kerk or church on the hill). Heuvelse kerk, or the church on the hill, is a Catholic church, built between 1872 and 1889 in neo-Gothic style and dedicated to St. Joseph (Sint-Joseph). 
• 51.5547535.0851536 Sint-Dionysiuskerk (Heikese kerk or church of St. Dionysius), Stadhuisstraat 6. The church of San Dionigi in via del municipio is the parish church of Tilburg. It already existed in 1232 as evidenced by a document signed by Duke Henry I of Brabant. 
• 51.5589755.0868367 Synagogue, Willem II-straat 20. It was erected in 1874 by the Jewish community attested in Tilburg since 1767. Partly destroyed during the Nazi occupation, it was restored in the postwar years and reopened for worship in 1949. The Jewish community of Tilburg was just 170 in that year. members and thinned even more in the following years. Consequently, the building passed into the hands of the municipality in 1974, which used it for cultural activities until 1998, when the synagogue returned to the Jewish community of Brabant. 
• 51.5442335.1310558 Abbey Our Lady of Koningshoeven (Abdij Onze Lieve Vrouw van Koningshoeven), Eindhovenseweg 3, ☎ 31 13 540 8508. Evocative abbey of the Trappist friars founded in 1881 by elements from Godewaersvelde, a French town on the border with the Belgium. Inside the abbey there is a brewery that produces five types of beer known under the generic name of la Trappe. The brand is very popular in Tilburg. 

Events and parties

• Tilburgh Festival (Tilburgse Kermis). 10 days in July. In all probability it is the most popular city event, capable of attracting crowds from all over to the Benelux. The "Roze Maandag" (Pink Monday) is a parade organized by the LGBT community along the lines of the more famous Gay Pride, which is still attended by crowds of heterosexuals. 
• Kruikenstad. The Tilburg Carnival. Kruikenstad is the nickname given to Tilburg by the nearby cities. It could be translated into Italian as the city of vases or even bags. It refers to the habit of those who worked in the numerous fabric factories in the city of carrying around a container full of urine which at the time was a natural fixative for the colors of the fabrics. The manifestation of the carnival did not please the local religious authorities who in the last century managed to ban it from the city streets. Masks and allegorical floats appeared again in 1965 following the requests of a special foundation that still presides over the organization of the Tilburg carnival. 
• Roadburn. In April. International rock music festival. 
• Incubate. Cultural festival that includes musical performances and theatrical events. The organization also provides a campsite for the participants. 

What to do

• 51.6502785.0480561 De Efteling. The largest and most popular theme park of the Netherlands it is located less than ten kilometers north of the center. You can reach it by bike or by bus that leaves from the terminus of the central station. For the return there is no problem as there are regional night buses in operation but naturally more sparse (from 2 to 4). In any case, the park houses a 4-star hotel inside. The award-winning De Efteling has been compared to Disney's Animal Kingdom's Orlando, (Florida) and of course a visit by him is essential. Among its attractions, the oldest is it Sprookjesbos (fairytale forest) coeval with the foundation of the park (1952). Also worth mentioning is the Pandadroom, a cinema that shows 4d films, Aquanura, a show of water games, lights and music created in 2012 and the Spookslot (haunted castle). You can go around the park in a vintage train pulled by a steam locomotive complete with a driver. In 2012 the de Efteling was visited by 4,200,000 people. 
• 51.5194445.1094442 Zoo Safari Beekse Bergen (Safaripark Beekse Bergen). The de Beekse Bergen is the largest and most famous zoo-safari of the Netherlands. It houses more than 1500 animals. It is possible to ride it with your own car, if you have one, otherwise you will have to settle for the large vans made available to the public by the park administration. You can also board small boats (safari boat) that run through the network of canals and waterways within the park. There is also a network of paths to walk, naturally without fear of having bad encounters. 
• Billy Bird Park Hemelrijk, Zeelandsedijk 34a, Volkel. 
• 51.57075.0623 Zoo Oliemeulen (Dierenpark De Oliemeulen), Reitse Hoevenstraat 30. A small zoo housed in an old farm that bears the title "The strangest zoo in all of the Netherlands" (het vreemdste dierenpark van Nederland). 
• 51.54325.07634 Recreatiebad Stappegoor (In the Olympic district). Public swimming pool complex (indoor and outdoor) equipped with diving boards and slides. 
• 51.55235.09575 Piushaven. Piushaven is a recreational area on a canal built in 1920 to connect the city center with the Wilhelmina canal which runs further north and with the remaining network of canals of the Brabant. Today, however, the port is no longer in operation and the moored boats perform a purely decorative function. The Piushaven area is used to celebrate the Hindu festival of Diwali and other cultural events sponsored by the municipality. 
• 51.56135.09036 Hall of Fame, Burgemeester Brokxlaan 6, ☎ 31 13 460 0743. It defines itself as "Kultuurfabriek" and is an atelier where members can freely express their creative flair. The Hall of Fame was obtained from an old building in the station area and is part of an ambitious municipal project aimed at transforming the area of ​​the old railway hangars (Spoorzone) into a recreational area available to citizens. 

Shopping

In general, shops are open from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm, even on Sundays. They are closed on Monday mornings. On Saturdays the closure is anticipated to 17:00, while on Thursdays it is extended until 20:00 and in many cases until 21:00. The last Sunday of the month is usually reserved for shopping.

It should be noted that every year in May a flea market takes place in the streets of the center which lasts 24 hours.

The pedestrianized Heuvelstraat is Tilburg's main shopping artery. Vi troverete filiali di note marche nazionali come Vroom & Dreesman e anche internazionali. La maggior parte dei negozi della Heuvelstraat vende capi di abbigliamento. Di seguito è fornito qualche indirizzo per acquisti in centro nel caso aveste necessità di fare un regalo a familiari e amici ma anche per esigenze più prettamente personali:

• 51.555495.083131 ^{[link not working]}De Soete Inval, Nieuwlandstraat 58a. Rinomato negozio di dolci tradizionali olandesi. 
• 51.55655.09092 T Drinks, Heuvelpoort 315, ☎ 31 13 580 1126. Negozio di alcolici dove reperire liquori e birre locali tra cui la Trappe, la birra prodotta in cinque varietà nella vicina abbazia Nostra Signora di Koningshoeven. Molto ampia la selezione di marche internazionali. 
• 51.55825.08883 Intertoys Speelgoedwinkel, Pieter Vreedeplein 155, ☎ 31 13 580 0405. Il più rinomato negozio di giocattoli in città. 
• 51.556085.082224 Wereldwinkel, Nieuwlandstraat 39, ☎ 31 13 542 5587. Negozio che espone oggetti artigianali di culture aborigene o molto particolari provenienti dai quattro angoli del mondo. 
• 51.556255.085455 Meneer en Mevrouw van Hout, Telefoonstraat 36, ☎ 31 13 211 0382. Sfizioso negozio di oggettistica e di arredi casalinghi selezionati con cura. Una vera mecca per il gentil sesso. 
• 51.555815.082476 Bike Totaal Guill van de Ven fietsen, Nieuwlandstraat 47. Lo specialista della bici in pieno centro. Potete ricorrervi se avete necessità di acquistare un accessorio o per una riparazione o anche per un semplice consiglio su questo mezzo di trasporto così popolare nei Netherlands. 
• 51.557875.088577 Pieter Vreedeplein. Un centro commerciale sull'omonima piazza a due passi dalla centralissima Heuvel e dalla chiesa di San Giuseppe. Inaugurato nel 2008, comprende palestra e sala da cinema. 
• 51.55525.08868 Emmapassage, Paleisring 27-29. Una galleria con 22 negozi e qualche ristorante. 

Di seguito un elenco di luoghi dello shopping al di fuori del centro:

• 51.55335.10299 La Poubelle, Havendijk 20, ☎ 31 13 543 9222. La più grande rivendita dell'usato (Kringloopwinkel) in città. Abiti, libri, mobili, elettronica, etc. Da notare che la Poubelle significa immondizia in francese dal nome del prefetto Eugène Poubelle che a fine '800 si fece promotore della legge che regolava lo smaltimento dei rifiuti, guadagnandosi al contempo il sempiterno rancore del popolo parigino. 
• 51.56935.052810 Centro commerciale Westermarkt (Winkelcentrum Westermarkt), Tilburg-West (Fermata Westermarkt delle linee d'autobus 2 e 3 dal centro). Un centro commerciale di modeste dimensioni nel quartiere dell'Università 
• 51.58445.086111 ^{[link previously not working]}Centro commerciale di Piazza Wagner (Winkelcentrum Wagnerplein), Tilburg-West (Autobus delle linee 5 o 6 dal capolinea della stazione fino alla fermata di piazza Wagner). Un centro commerciale con circa 40 negozi per lo più di abbigliamento femminile e infantile. Troverete al suo interno anche due supermercati, un negozio specializzato nella vendita di formaggi, due panetterie, un ufficio postale e un ristorante cinese.. 

How to have fun

Shows

Teatri e sale da concerti

• 51.554365.082351 Theaters Tilburg, Louis Bouwmeesterplein 1. Multisala adibita a spettacoli teatrali, rappresentazioni di danza e concerti, attentamente selezionati. Non ne rimarrete delusi. 
• 51.557755.092942 013 Poppodium, Veemarktstraat 44. Dal 1993, anno della sua fondazione, si esibiscono sul palco (podium) dello 013 stelle internazionali del genere pop. Ospita anche bande ed artisti che partecipano a festival musicali che si svolgono ogni anno a Tilburg. La struttura consiste di tre sale di concerti, la maggiore delle quali è la sala Jupiter (Jupiler Zaal) con una capacità di 2.200 posti. Trae il suo nome dal prefisso telefonico cittadino 
• 51.558635.086833 Paradox, Telegraafstraat 62, ☎ 31 13 543 2266. Sala ove si esibiscono professionisti e dilettanti dei generi jazz e blues. Il Paradox fu fondato nel 1985 da un gruppo di musicisti locali tra cui Niko Langenhuijsen e Henk Koekkoek divenendo ben presto un'istituzione cittadina. La sala fu inserita nel programma artistico del Ministero dell'Educazione per il triennio 2005-2008 ed è tuttora finanziato dal fondo nazionale per le arti performative (Nederlands Fonds voor Podiumkunsten - FPPM). Oltre a concerti il Paradox ha promosso vari progetti tra cui i festival Accordion, Jiddiesj, Incubate e "Stranger than Paranoia" . 

Sale cinematografiche

• 51.5395.07564 Euroscoop, Olympiaplein 2,. Complesso di 12 sale cinematografiche con una capacità complessiva di 2.000 posti, appartenente all'omonima società belga. 
• 51.557945.089935 Pathé Tilburg, Pieter Vreedeplein. Sala IMAX in centro 
• 51.558365.086476 Cinecittà, Willem II Straat 29. Sala cinematografica art nouveau che nel 2016 ha festeggiato il suo centenario. Funziona come associazione culturale 

Night clubs

• 51.557125.092337 ^{[link not working]}Café Babbus, Heuvel 46, ☎ 31 13 545 3539. 
• 51.558585.087298 Biercafé Kandinsky, Telegraafstraat 58, ☎ 31 13 544 4924. 
• 51.555415.090969 Kim's Kroeg, Piusplein 61, ☎ 31 13 822 8414. 
• 51.557335.0919210 Eetcafè Polly Maggoo, Heuvel 10. 
• 51.555045.0852211 Café de Boekanier, Stadhuisstraat 11, ☎ 31 13 543 1903. Altro locale adatto a studenti e giovanissimi ma non raccomandabile a visitatori stranieri e a chiunque abbia superato la soglia dei 25 anni. Il cafè de Boekanier è noto per ricorrere a una pubblicità maliziosa e ambigua pur di accaparrarsi la sua clientela di giovanissimi . 
• 51.555655.0901512 Café Bolle, Piusplein 8, ☎ 31 13 581 0290. Altro luogo d'attrazione di folle di studenti, il caffè Bolle si distingue per gli arredi, per la pista da ballo e per il buon cibo servito ai tavoli e al bancone a prezzi non alti. 
• 51.556115.0900413 Café Hoegaarden, Piusplein 2. birreria con veranda. 
• 51.55945.112914 Café Zomerlust, Oisterwijksebaan 15, ☎ 31 13 542 5292. Il Café Zomerlust è un locale rinomato con una ampia scelta di birre, al riparo da orde studentesche e frequentato da persone non più giovanissime. Un po' fuori mano ma in compenso vi faranno gratis il pieno della vostra bicicletta elettrica mentre degustate la vostra birra preferita 
• 51.555255.0825115 ^{[link not working]}Corton, Heuvelstraat 139. Il primo wine bar ad aver aperto i battenti a Tilburg. 
• 51.555995.0900916 Café De Baret, Piusplein 3. Un pub che ha il privilegio di rimanere aperto fino a notte fonda anche nei giorni feriali. Noto per servire la Maes pils, la birra di Anversa, molto apprezzata insieme alla Jupiler e alla Stella Artois, sempre prodotte in Belgio 
• 51.555065.0843817 De Living, Oude Markt 8, ☎ 31 13 583 3538. 
• 51.558065.0908218 Epic, Heuvelring 116, ☎ 31 13 822 6784. Aperto il ven. e il sab.. Un night club con vari bar al suo interno e rinomato per gli spettacoli che offre nei due giorni della settimana in cui è aperto 
• 51.557465.0898119 Bar Havana, Heuvel 22, ☎ 31 13 536 5324. Locale di tendenza. Vi è annessa una scuola di salsa e un laboratorio di cocktail. 
• 51.55785.044820 Het Dorstige Hert, Bredaseweg 397, ☎ 31 13 467 1085. Aperto dal primo pomeriggio fino a mezzanotte. Sabato è il giorno di riposo settimanale. Pub nei pressi dell'università 
• 51.555185.0890321 Het Elfde Gebod, Paleisring 23. Un pub dall'arredo medievale e dal nome particolare (Undicesimo comandamento). 
• 51.558695.0822522 Little Devil, Stationsstraat 27, ☎ 31 13 545 2140. Un rock café per gli appassionati dei generi musicali metal, garage, punk.. 
• 51.557125.0912923 Café Philip, Heuvel 38, ☎ 31 13 580 0361. Locale molto rinomato tra gli studenti. con una pista da ballo a pianterreno, un pub nello scantinato e uno snack bar al piano superiore che serve panini e altri sfizi fino alle prime luci dell'alba. 
• 51.563245.093524 Poolcentrum 4 Friends, Koestraat 144, ☎ 31 13 544 2281. Avveniristica sala da biliardo 
• 51.557325.0916925 Café Tribunaal, Heuvel 14, ☎ 31 13 542 5290. Locale frequentato da giovani professionisti ancora scapoli che qui si riuniscono dopo l'orario di lavoro per giocare a dadi, a carte o freccette. 
• 51.554975.0848726 Klein Café Van Horen Zeggen, Stadhuisstraat 15. Mar-Sab 15:30-04:00, Dom 14:00-22:00. Lun chiuso. Pub 

Where to eat

Moderate prices

• 51.555045.084481 Anvers Brasserie & Biercafé, Oude Markt 8, ☎ 31 13 583 3533. Lun-Sab 10:00-01:00; Dom 10:00-00-00. Locale rinomato e sempre molto frequentato. Per il fine settimana offre un brunch a prezzo fisso ma anche il menu à la carte dei giorni feriali non è dispendioso. 
• 51.554935.084182 Faja Lobi, Oude Markt 9, ☎ 31 13 544 9666. Mar-Sab 12:00-21:00; Dom 16:00-20:30. Piatti del Suriname. 
• 51.55535.08323 Happy Italy, Heuvelstraat 126, ☎ 31 13 737 0300. Lun-Dom 11:00-23:00. Una catena di fast food all'italiana che sta prendendo prepotentemente piede nei Paesi Bassi grazie soprattutto alla sapiente locazione. L'Happy Italy di Tilburg è situato vicino l'Oude Market. 
• Slagroom Eten en Drinken, Piusplein 6a, ☎ 31 13 582 0070. Dom-Mer 10:00-02:00; Gio-Sab 10:00-04:00. In funzione fin dagli anni 50, Slagrom è un tradizionale cafè-ristorante olandese dove andare per gustare piatti tipici della cucina locale ma anche italiana come carpaccio o mozzarella. È rinomato tra le famiglie ma ha il vantaggio di rimanere aperto fino a notte inoltrata. 
• 51.557445.082734 Café Jack's, Tuinstraat 81, ☎ 31 13 542 6322. Ogni giorno presenta un menù a prezzo fisso. 

Average prices

• 51.556245.091485 Minos Pallas, Heuvelring 224, ☎ 31 13 535 0035. Rinomato ristorante greco. Carni grigliate e pietanze tipiche greche. Menu a prezzo fisso con possibilità di scelta tra 3 diverse pietanze € 20 al 2016. Valido solo per il pranzo dei giorni feriali. A volte i tempi di attesa sono più lunghi del dovuto 
• 51.556335.088046 De Pannekoekenbakker, Heuvelstraat 40 (in fondo a uno stretto vicolo che sfocia sulla Heuvelstraat). €20-25. Vasta scelta di invitanti pancakes anche a portar via. 
• 51.555195.09097 ^{[link not working]}New Bali, Indonesisch restaurant, Piusplein 55, ☎ 31 13 544 9038. Cucina balinese 

High prices

• Taste, Heuvelpoort 300, ☎ 31 13 535 32 96. Tre portate €34,50. Quattro €42.50. Dieci €74.50.. Il ristorante dell'albergo Mercure si distingue per l'aria elegante e per le porzioni minimaliste ma servite secondo i dettami della moda parigina. Potete scegliere solo tra una decina di leccornie o anche "divorarle" tutte per la somma indicata precedentemente. 

Where stay

Moderate prices

• 51.55965.0741 Stadscamping, Sint Ceciliastraat 1, ☎ 31 630 582 889. Il più vicino campeggio al centro 
• 51.55975.02562 Landgoed Sparrenhof, Bredaseweg 530, ☎ 31 13 468 4358, 31 653 367 373 (cellulare). Altro campeggio in una zona molto verde. 

Average prices

• 51.54195.0513 Hotel ibis Tilburg, Dr. Hub Van Doorneweg 105, ☎ 31 13 463 6465, fax: 31 13 468 1624. Albergo a 3 stelle. 
• 51.55745.091184 City Tilburg, Heuvelring 128, ☎ 31 13 535 1355, fax: 31 13 536 1085. Albergo a 3 stelle. 
• 51.55985.08665 Het Wapen van Tilburg, Spoorlaan 362, ☎ 31 13 542 2692. 

High prices

• 51.55725.04786 Auberge Du Bonheur, Bredaseweg 441, ☎ 31 13 468 6942. Albergo a 4 stelle considerato all'unanimità il migliore di Tilburg. 
• 51.557075.090917 Mercure Hotel Tilburg Centrum, Heuvelpoort 300, ☎ 31 13 535 4675. Albergo a 4 stelle appartenente alla catena Accor Hotels. 
• 51.55145.11098 Bastion Hotel Tilburg, Kempenbaan 2, ☎ 31 13 544 1999. Check in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. 

Safety

Tilburg gode di buona reputazione per quanto riguarda la sicurezza. Certamente è più sicura della vicina Eindhoven anche perché di dimensioni più ridotte e dall'aria provinciale decisamente più marcata. Quartieri in cui bisogna essere più guardinghi sono:

• Tilburg Nord - Il quartiere dei casermoni innalzati nel periodo post bellico che contribuiscono a dare un'aria poco rassicurante soprattutto dopo il calar del sole.
• Tilburg Ovest - Il quartiere dei parchi a ridosso dell'Università con scarsa presenza umana.

A parte la sensazione di terrore che possono incutere le aree non centrali se percorse in bicicletta dopo l'imbrunire, Tilburg è una città che tiene molto alla sua reputazione e di rado vi si verificano fatti di cronaca nera che attraggono l'attenzione della stampa nazionale.

Di seguito un elenco dei posti di polizia e dei relativi indirizzi:

• Politiebureau binnenstad, Stationsstraat 22. Responsabile della sicurezza in centro e nell'Oud-zuid. 
• Politiebureau Leijdal, Ringbaan Zuid 498a. Per l'est di Tilburg. 
• Politiebureau West/Reeshof, Karel Boddenweg 9. Per tutti i quartieri situati ad ovest della Ringbaan (anello autostradale). 
• Politiebureau Wilhelminapark, Wilhelminapark 6. Per Tilburg Oud-noord. 
• Politiebureau Noord, Brucknerlaan 18. Per i quartieri a nord del canale Guglielmina (Wilhelminakanaal). 

How to keep in touch

Post office

Spedire una cartolina vecchio stampo non è facile in quanto a Tilburg non esistono uffici postali nel senso convenzionale del termine. Le poste dei Paesi Bassi hanno preferito rimettere questa funzione a enti privati o locali, normalmente mercati e supermercati. Attualmente l'incarico è espletato dal mercato alimentari Jumbo, al n°11 di Lieve Vrouweplein ma, per evitare di fare un viaggio a vuoto, controllate questa informazione sul sito delle Post office olandesi. Le cose possono cambiare. Naturalmente a Tilburg operano svariati courier.

Internet

Alberghi ed esercizi commerciali vari offrono wi-fi gratis. Dovrete però richiedere la password al personale.

Keep informed

Brabants Dagblad è una testata giornalistica regionale pubblicata a 's-Hertogenbosch e molto seguita anche a Tilburg. Tilburgse Koerier^{[link previously not working]} (Corriere di Tilburg) è un settimanale che esce il martedì ma distribuito solo secondo il sistema porta a porta. Lo stesso dicasi del Stadsnieuws (Citynews).

Around

Sono molte le aree verdi nei dintorni di Tilburg percorse da una fitta rete di piste ciclabili asfaltate e dotate di segnaletica. Di seguito ne accenniamo un paio:

• 51.6477785.1147221 Parco nazionale De Loonse en Drunense Duinen (Nationaal Park De Loonse en Drunense Duinen). Chiamato "Sahara del Brabante", il parco è costituito da dune e terreni sabbiosi che si estendono per circa 30 km². I suoi paesaggi particolari richiamano folle di escursionisti nei fine settimana. Il suo successo dipende anche dal fatto che è adiacente al parco a tema Efteling. 
• 51.585.28082 La Foresta Verde (Het Groene Woud). Trattasi di un'area protetta tra Tilburg e le città di Eindhoven is 's-Hertogenbosch. La riserva fu istituita nel 2004 per prevenire che le tre città si saldassero tra loro. Copre un'area di 7.500 ha. Il paesaggio è costituito da paludi e pascoli inframezzati da campi agricoli. Si presta per l'escursionismo a piedi, in bicicletta o anche in barca. Costituisce un rifugio per diversi roditori e pipistrelli. Recentemente vi è stato reintrodotto il cervo reale. 

Itineraries

Alcuni degli itinerari possibili da Tilburg:

• Se avete molta fretta da Breda potrete raggiungere rapidamente Rotterdam or Anversa anche con treni ad alta velocità.

• Un itinerario meno battuto, ma comunque interessante, è quello che vi porterà in treno, passando sempre da Breda e l'antico porto fortificato di Bergen op Zoom until Middelburg, piacevole capoluogo della Zelandia con un interessante patrimonio artistico. Da quest'ultima località potrete proseguire per Rotterdam or Anversa, percorrendo strade secondarie non molto trafficate.

Useful information

• 51.56015.08163 VVV Tilburg, Spoorlaan 434a (Uscendo dalla stazione a destra), ☎ 31 13 532 3720. Mar-Ven10:00-17:00, Sab 10:00-16:00, Lun 13:00-17:00. Sun closed. L'ufficio turistico è situato a fianco del museo della Natura del Brabante. Offre un servizio di prenotazione alberghiera. Se volete depliant e altro materiale turistico stampato potrete ritirarlo gratis da una delle macchine a forma di colonnine blu presenti all'ingresso della stazione ferroviaria senza bisogno di recarvi a questo indirizzo. 

Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Tilburg
• Commons contains images or other files on Tilburg

Guida : l'articolo rispetta le caratteristiche di un articolo usabile ma in più contiene molte informazioni e consente senza problemi una visita alla città. L'articolo contiene un adeguato numero di immagini, un discreto numero di listing. Non sono presenti errori di stile.